Combustion With Oxygen Enriched Air

Oxygen enrichment can be used as an effective tool to increase production rates and furnace efficiency. Increasing the oxygen content of air lowers the concentration of inert gases. Consequently, atstoichiometric conditions, the volume of waste gases from combustion with oxygen enriched air will be less than that from combustion with room air. Fuel savings can be significant at high flue gas temperatures and high levels of oxygen enrichment. Air enrichment also raises the flame temperature which contributes to increased furnace productivity. Burners that combust fuel with pure oxygen are generally referred to as oxy-fuel burners. Burners which use a mixture of pure oxygen and air are oxygen-enriched air burners. The performance of processes using fossil fuels and oxygen-enriched air, and the establishment of criteria for the design of oxygen-enriched air burners are the subjects of this technical session.